Job Discussion Forums

[lovethealien]

I'm looking to come to Indonesia in the summer to start teaching in jakarta, and I have a lot of questions. One of my friends, who has been to jakarta several times and who is planning to make it his permanant home next month, warned me that a woman living alone in jakarta is too dangerous. He is not an english teacher, so I would like to hear some teacher's opinions. Originally I'm from new york, so i am used to being careful in big cities. the past 2 years i have lived in seoul, so possibly I've relaxed my guard a little, but I'm sure it will not be a problem to make being careful a habit again.

Also, I sent my resume to EF, and they never responded back. It made me wonder what english schools are looking for in indonesia. My resume is well written and professionally presented. It shows my BA in English, my 2 years of teaching experience in korea, as well as my tesol certification and my previous (non teaching related) jobs. It explains why my experience makes me an adaptable and creative teacher. I was surprised that they didn't even send me an email saying I'm sorry, you aren't right for our company. Should I contact them again?

EDIT: I read in another post that the fact that I didn't specify how much I expected to paid may be a factor in why they didn't answer me. Is that true? They didn't ask how much money i was expecting. As I research jobs, so many of them seem to require celta certification. Am I uncompettitive without it?

I have so many questions about the reality of living and working in jakarta. Would anyone be willing to correspond with me a little and discuss your experience with me? I would really appreciate that. A lot of my questions are specific too, so i wouldn't expect you to just free write, unless you wanted to.

[missjo]

I've been living in Asia for the best part of 12 years, sometimes in shared accommodation and sometimes in my own place. I've been in Indonesia for almost 6 years with the last year in Jakarta. I follow the usual precautions, don't give it much thought and have NEVER felt vulnerable or threatened. Don't let others' fears put you off!

PM me specific questions and I'll be happy to help if I can.

[ljb]

I have been here for a little more than four years and I have always lived alone. I have taken the same precautions I would take in any city in the world and have had very few negative experiences to speak of.

Like MissJo PM me if you want anymore info.

As for your school application, I would follow it up, you never know your application may have been misplaced. There is no harm in pushing yourself forward as the right person for the job or at least asking for some feedback as to why you weren't considered.

Good Luck!

[Vertumnus]

First, I'm not a woman.

Second, it's been my observation that the governmental letters sent to those who sign up for them err far on the side of caution and should not be paid too much heed (except for which areas of the country are off limit), because common sense will handle the rest. Further, western "news" about Indonesia has, since 9/11, been unreliable at best and, in some cases, downright full of falsehoods. I've seen broadcasts where they all but came out and called Indonesia a country full of radical Muslims, which is pretty funny considering the odd blend of Islam most practice here.

Third, if you practice the same sort of common sense and caution you did in the big apple, you'll be fine. Indonesia isn't really that scary, unless you choose to visit scary places at scary times. Then, you're just asking for trouble.

As for EF, be careful about taking a job with them in Indonesia. Many owners here are not very interested in following the franchise rules to the letter and enforcement by the HQ is poor. In addition, many owners are slimy buggers who crawled out from under a rock. NOT ALL of them but, as a lot, you have to be careful. Don't expect the DOS to necessarily give you the full scoop about the situation, either.

The fact that your resume went unanswered means little. Continue looking at other, better jobs. You should be able to get work at better schools.

You might try contacting Fasih Berbahasa Inggris (FBI) in Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta. They get lots of Koreans, so your experience in S. K. would be a plus, and Bekasi's not actually quite as grotty as Jakarta.

FBI Kemang Pratama 021-8225744 or 021-82413119
FBI Galaxi 021-8212555

Ask for David Sanders, the director/owner or Iin (ee-een), the supervisor. KP is the main office and Galaxi is the second location (assuming they've not moved it again). I think you can also try emailing at [email protected].

It's not a perfect school, but I've definitely heard of far worse.

There are other good language courses in the JaBoTeDaBek (metro Jakarta) area, but I've forgotten their names and lost their contacts.

Good luck - I'm sure the ladies can answer your questions from a better perspective than mine. Also, I've been away from Jakarta (deliberately) for a while, so others have better knowledge of the situation, other than what I grot from the news (flooding, terrible traffic, corruption, pollution, availability of almost anything you need, etc.)

-D

[lovethealien]

I appreiciate your kind and helpful responses. missjo and ljb I will pm you within a day or two.

vertumnus, I will email your contact. Once again, thank you.

[raven_sable]

You will be able to get a job without CELTA/TEFL/TESL, but your going to be more competitive with it. It is highly unusual for anywhere to fail to reply, particularly as Indonesia has a lot of job openings available.

It is surprising that they asked you for a salary as most places will give you an offer first. I concur with statements made about some school owners here.

I have been here for 18 months and I have never heard of a woman getting any serious amount of hassle. Men will stare at you because your white and female but I have never met anyone who has had any actual problems (assault or harassment).

Good luck getting a job.

[Atoms for Peace]

[JZer]

[Tommybhoy]

Look who came in at No.2 after Lagos, Nigeria...

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/03/0304_difficult_cities/3.htm